/ NEWS: French Legend Patrick Edlinger Passes Away

Iconic French climber Patrick Edlinger has died aged 52. The French sport climbing pioneer passed away on Friday the 16th of November.

Edlinger was well known not only for his hard sport onsights in the early 80's, but also for his audacious solo ascents of technical and hard routes such as Orange Mécanique, an 8a at Cimai, and multiple solos in the huge Verdon Gorge.

In reply to UKC News: To see Patrick Edlinger free soloing, search for "la vie au bout des doigts" (French title, that would be "Life at the fingertip" in english) on youtube, It is the (short) movie that shot him to stardom in France in the early 80's.

You'll ear him talking about climbing, training, solo, and living at the margins, over images of him deep water soloing in the south of France, training (including his famous pull up on a single pinky), and then free soloing a multipitch route from the French cliff of Buoux.

In "opera vertical", which you might be able to find on the internet too, you'll see him climbing with a friend, then at the end he perform a barefoot solo of a part of the cliff (this one is in the Verdon Gorges).

These images have left a deep mark on the French (and arguably, world) climbing community.

In reply to UKC News: According to the German magazine Alpin's website he died after falling down his stairs at home and suffering a brain hemorrhage. He managed to drag himself to his bath where his body was found. Tragic to die so early and especially in such circumstances.